­The Revel belongs in the Brooks family of cushioned shoes, along with the Glycerin and the inimitable Ghost. It was one of the first shoes Brooks launched with a flat-knit upper, lending it an off-road and on-road appeal. It’s the kind of shoe you continue wearing long after your run because it’s so comfortable. Eventually, you’d forget you’re still slacking around in them until someone said, “Cool sneakers!” The same goes for the Revel 2.

From its updated knit upper down to its cushy midsole, there’s a lot to, indeed, revel about this shoe. Our wear-testers reported a comfy fit inside the inner bootie and liked the snug, soft feel of the breathable upper. The shoe was praised for being lightweight yet still plush. At $100, the Revel 2 is also on the affordable side; for a sharp-looking shoe that handles well on an 8-miler down a quarry and gravel path (as I can personally attest) you definitely get bang—and much more—for your buck.

The Revel 2 is a neutral, cushioned shoe, lighter than the aforementioned Glycerin and Ghost, and in its element on mid-distance runs. It’s also a shoe I like to wear post-workout, and often find myself saying, “Oh, these old things? Well, thanks.”

A segmented crash pad on the heel makes transitioning smoother your the run (men’s shown).

Trevor Raab

Adaptable Midsole

The Revel’s cushioned ride is due to Brooks’s BioMoGo DNA foam in the midsole, which adapts to your weight, stride, and speed. Test results at the Runner’s World Shoe Lab show both the heel and forefoot cushioning in the men’s and women’s shoes as “moderate.” However, wear-testers found the shoe sufficiently cushioned, even though it was middle of the road compared to other shoes tested. “Cushioning underfoot was excellent—just enough to maintain comfort without being too squishy,” said a tester. “I never felt hot spots or like I was slamming my feet into the pavement.”

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Smooth Transitions

The Revel has a segmented crash pad on its heel, which helps soften your landing when running on the road. I found the Revel to be quieter than my fellow comrades’ shoes. Wear-testers also noted how the trainer doesn’t make you sound like a stallion galloping in the Kentucky Derby. “I often hit the pavement kind of hard, enough that I can hear my shoes landing,” said a tester. “These shoes were silent, totally quiet. On dry pavement, they almost felt like they were a little sticky on the bottom—in a good way—springing me forward on flats and hills.”

Testers praised the shoe’s traction in the rain and on mud. However, on especially slick, muddy paths I found my knees and ankles locking; I did not fall, but the tension in my legs made me decide these shoes are meant for the paved road.

Your foot will feel cozy inside the inner bootie (women’s shown).

Trevor Raab

Flat-Knit Upper

The upper is composed of heat-activated yarns that prevent it from stretching overtime. Unlike the first version, the Revel 2’s updated upper is entirely flat-knit (with the exception of the lightweight Brooks overlay stitched on the side. “I love the stretchy knit upper, the way it conforms to the shape of my foot, and how its pattern varies from the toe to the middle to the heel,” said a tester. “It's like wearing a comfortable sock with a sturdy sole attached to it.”

The upper is also surprisingly durable; I ran through thorny trails and rocky streams and the Revel held up well and still looked good, albeit slightly dirty, after.

All the Stats You Need!

Men’s

Weight: Moderate | 9.5 oz

Heel-To-Toe-Drop: High| 11.4 mm

Heel Height: High | 33.8 mm

Heel Cushioning: Moderate

Forefoot Height: Moderate | 22.4 mm

Forefoot Cushioning: Moderate

Flexibility: Stiff

Stability Features: Few

Energy Return: Moderate

Women’s

Weight: Moderate | 8.4 oz

Heel-To-Toe-Drop: High | 9.7 mm

Heel Height: Moderate | 30.9 mm

Heel Cushioning: Moderate

Forefoot Height: Low | 21.2 mm

Forefoot Cushioning: Moderate

Flexibility: Very Stiff

Stability Features: Few

Energy Return: Moderate

We put each shoe through real-world usage and a battery of mechanical tests in our lab to provide you with objective—and exclusive—data. In addition to a shoe’s weight, we measure sole thickness (everything that sits between your foot and the road), how well the foam cushions your stride, and the flexibility of the forefoot. All this is taken into account in our reviews of each shoe.

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